


a lesson in finding a place to belong: to be paid forward

by captainsflyboy



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Epilogue, Keith is so smitten for Shiro, M/M, The Acxa and Keith is purely platonic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-15
Updated: 2018-08-15
Packaged: 2019-06-27 22:04:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,421
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15694251
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/captainsflyboy/pseuds/captainsflyboy
Summary: “Come with me, Keith,” Acxa says, voice booming. “With us. I have seen you lead. You can help guide our people to usher a new beginning.” She looks at him dead in the eye, shoulders straight, no hesitation.“No,” he says with resolution. “I appreciate it, but I’m sorry, no.”“Why not?”She genuinely looks taken aback. Questioning. Sad, maybe. He wonders if what Ezor and Zethrid said during their fight actually has a little bit of truth. If Keith was any better at reading emotions, he would be able to tell, but there is only one man he can truly read like an open book. He brushes the thought away. It’s irrelevant.“Because that’s not where I belong,” he says.He thinks of these: hoverbike, broad shoulders, chiseled jaw, handsome smile. A voice he can’t quite replicate in his head that both makes his heart leap and anchors him whenever he hears it.Keith, an important life lesson, and how he tries to pass it on.





	a lesson in finding a place to belong: to be paid forward

The cool desert air whistles around him. It’s a clear night, barely any clouds in sky, just the way he prefers it. Sitting on the rooftop of the main Garrison building, the only improvement to the situation he can think of is perhaps a bottle of red. 

How odd, Keith muses, that despite having spent so much time in space, nothing still beats how the stars look from down here. His conscience tells him to not kid himself for he knows exactly why.

He thinks of these: hoverbike, broad shoulders, chiseled jaw, handsome smile. A voice he can’t quite replicate in his head that both makes his heart leap and anchors him whenever he hears it. 

Soft lips, a recent one to add to the collection.

He first feels his wolf react to the intrusion before he notices it himself. So lost in thought, so unguarded after their win against the biggest threat to the universe. He knows he shouldn’t be letting his guard down no matter what, but there’s a certain sated feeling deep in his bones he can’t quite shake.

He twists his head and sees purple hair, blue skin, armour. An ally. He greets her and gestures for her to occupy the empty space beside the wolf.

Acxa shakes her head. “I prefer to stand. Thank you.”

Keith shrugs and continues to mindlessly stroke soft, dark blue fur. He looks at her bandaged right arm. “How’s your wound healing?” he asks. He thinks he’s getting better at small talk. Being around Hunk does wonders to oneself. If there is a friendship rating program he would’ve given Hunk six stars out of five.

“It is fine. The doctor told me to keep this on to prevent infection, but it no longer hurts. Thank you for asking.”

“Good to hear,” he hums in acknowledgement. “So, what brings you here?”

“I wanted to announce my departure. And say my thanks, for what you’ve done.”

“No need to thank me,” Keith replies. “You were an important part of the fight. I should be thanking you.”

She smiles, and after a while, she says, “I am leaving tomorrow with Krolia and Kolivan as soon as the first light hits. I thought I would see you then but I wanted to speak to you before, first.”

Keith waits for her to continue.

“I will be joining the other Galra that were left behind as a result of this war. Half-Galra and purebreds, both. So many of them are still out there in need of guidance after losing the war or having lost family members to it.

“Zethrid, Ezor and I were all children born of war. We grew up only knowing carnage and violence. I am lucky to have escaped it, but I don’t want anyone to experience what we went through. The new generation deserves to know peace.” 

The realisation hits him. In winning the war he’s killed beings who had families, significant others, children. Not all of them had a choice in the matter -- most probably don’t. It was something nobody wanted to think about in the midst of war because they had to do what needed to be done and being empathetic whilst firing cannons out of giant robot lions isn’t the best battle strategy.

He _really_ wishes he has that drink with him right now.

“That’s great,” Keith finally responds. “It’s very noble of you. I’m sure you’ll do great in helping these people and I’m sure they’ll look up to you. I wish you all the best of luck.”

“I think I will still need help,” she says. “That is actually why I came here. To ask for your assistance with building a new future for the Galra.”

Keith furrows his brows in confusion. That seems to get his point across because she starts to speak again.

“Come with me, Keith,” Acxa says, voice booming. “With us. I have seen you lead. You can help guide our people to usher a new beginning.” She looks at him dead in the eye, shoulders straight, no hesitation.

Him, leading a new generation of the Galra? That really caught him off guard. Keith takes a deep breath and steadies himself for a moment.

“No,” he says with resolution. “I appreciate it, but I’m sorry, no.”

“Why not?”

She genuinely looks taken aback. Questioning. Sad, maybe. He wonders if what Ezor and Zethrid said during their fight actually has a little bit of truth. If Keith was any better at reading emotions, he would be able to tell, but there is only one man he can truly read like an open book. He brushes the thought away. It’s irrelevant.

“Because that’s not where I belong,” he says. “I lead Voltron. I’m half-Galra, but I’m human first. I’ve lived as one for as long as I can remember. I’m sure you can understand. It’s not my place.”

The silence in the air hangs heavy. He’s never enjoyed awkward silences. People always get the wrong idea because he is supposedly the lone wolf. The opposite is true. Being alone means he can get lost in his own thoughts, his mind working on its own like a conversation that always flows. It’s trickier with people, exceptions notwithstanding.

The old him would have left the scene to save himself from the discomfort. He keeps his position and fights the urge to shift uncomfortably.

“Your mother and Kolivan will be joining our movement. You will not be alone,” she tries again. 

“I know and I’m flattered by the offer, but my home is here, now,” he explains.

Acxa asks him, “You mean Earth? You will be happy remaining in this planet, as a Paladin of Voltron?”

“I guess, Earth. Could be the Moon, Kerberos, another galaxy,” he rambles on. He feels heat rising on his cheeks. “I suppose what I’m trying to say is that after all of this, I just want to be home, and,” he brushes the back of his neck, “home isn’t always a place? It can be people, too. Family, like you mentioned, my mom and Kolivan. Or--” A spaceship, a captain. White hair. Neatly pressed uniform. The smell of Garrison-issued deodorant. “--a person, if you’re lucky.” Yeah, he’s blushing now.

“A person. If you’re lucky,” she says slowly, enunciating each word like she’s trying to digest the information.

Keith wills his face to turn to its normal colour again. How is it that after everything, just the thought of _him_ still makes his heart flutter like this? He’s glad none of his teammates are here to see this pathetic display.

It feels like ages before his heart slows down. Coincidentally, that’s also when a familiar, velvety voice calls out from the rooftop door behind them.

“There you are, Keith. Oh, hi, Acxa.”

Shiro looks stunning dressed in his black undershirt and military slacks. Then again, he’s always looked like the best thing Keith’s ever seen.

Keith’s heart can only take so much before it feels like it’s about to explode.

“Hey, you,” Keith says. He can’t help the stretch of a smile on his face. His voice sounds ridiculously fond even to himself. He can’t bring himself to care about such open affection. They’ve more than earned it, this new thing between them, if he can say so himself.

“The guys finally found the Monsters and Mana playing kit. Do you want to come and join us?” Shiro asks, the offer extended to both of them.

“Yeah, of course.” Keith grunts as he gets up from the bench. He looks to his side. “I’m sure the guys won’t mind if you want to join.”

Acxa smiles and shakes her head. “That is quite alright. I would prefer to rest. Thank you for your time, Keith,” she says.

“No problem,” he replies.

As he starts to walk away, she calls out to him, “I hope to be as lucky as both you and the captain are, one day.”

Keith smiles and salutes back at her. He links his fingers with Shiro’s as they head to the lounge room.

To be honest, he doesn’t know how he’s managed to survive without _this_ , all this time. Being with Shiro isn’t like finding a missing puzzle piece. There is no big eureka moment. There’s just a sense of finally being able to let go, be content, be cared for. Be a priority in Shiro’s life.

He looks down at their entwined fingers and thinks, his heart has found a home and home it is to forever stay.

**Author's Note:**

> [tumblr](https://treaclyena.tumblr.com) / [twitter](https://twitter.com/treaclyena)


End file.
